


A PowerPoint Proposal

by cafedeluna



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Best Friends to Lovers, Childhood Friends, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romantic Fluff, doyoung proposes with a powerpoint presentation, the rest of 127 are the supportive friends we all need, this marriage proposal will be using an academic approach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29059692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafedeluna/pseuds/cafedeluna
Summary: Mark brought popcorn thinking he's attending a movie night, for real. Turns out Doyoung had decided to skip the dating pleasantries and makes Taeyong read all of the feelings that he has been oblivious of."Wait! What?""You can't be serious." Donghyuck glares at him. "I sent you the memo!"
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 26
Kudos: 354





	A PowerPoint Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> hello. i was going through a block, i couldn't find any words to finish my rarepair fics. but then here comes dotae to save the day! this is unbetad and rushed but i still hope you can enjoy this. 
> 
> (loosely inspired by this [tweet](https://twitter.com/XUXlSUSHI/status/1354485712310120449?s=19))

"Wait! What?” Mark shrieked from his spot on the small couch, sandwiched between Yuta and Donghyuck who simultaneously glared at him to shut up. But it was Donghyuck who smothered his mouth with a hand while Yuta simply placed a grounding grip on his thigh. 

“You can’t be serious.” Donghyuck glared at him. “I sent you the memo!” 

“What memo?” Mark’s words are strangled against Hyuck’s palm but he understands it completely. Casting a side look at the spectacle that’s happening in front of them, Donghyuck looks at Mark with a resigned expression. 

“Mark Lee,” he carefully mutters, “is this why you actually bought buckets of popcorn? Sweetheart, the movie marathon is just a disguise.” 

In front of them, the projector that Johnny helped Doyoung set up flashes the first slide of the presentation that Doyoung has been preparing, stressing and fretting for over a week already. When Johnny first heard about Doyoung’s idea of how he plans to propose to Taeyong, he snorted the coffee from his nose and the embarrassment was seconded by Doyoung throwing him a cookie, hot and fresh from the oven. And note that it happened in the bakeshop that Doyoung and Taeyong co-owns, with at least a dozen people seeing them.

After that, he decides to commit to whatever Doyoung has planned instead of being hit once again by the Doyoung Karma that comes fast and with a hard blow. 

Everyone in their group have always accepted Doyoung and Taeyong’s odd relationship since all of them met in college. The two have already known each other since they were in high school, best friends who have plans together and achieves all of it together; which explains the bakery. Johnny witnessed them in most of their big feats. From how they decided to move in together in one apartment because; _“It just makes sense, that’s all. We’re opening a business together, we’re business partners. Plus it’d be easier for us to decide and experiment menus together. And it’d help us save money. Besides, it’s not like we’re not used to living in the same space together.”_

Yuta had snickered at Taeyong’s rambling. _“Of course, Yongie. We support you two, together. Right John?”_ The implication is clear, anyone in their radius would know that there’s an implication to Yuta’s words. But not Taeyong. Never Taeyong. 

So it doesn’t come as a surprise to everyone who helped Doyoung prepare the _Movie Night_ project to know that he’s planning to skip the whole relationship process; dating, etc. and go straight to engagement. 

_“It’s about time! I’m tired of explaining to everyone who thinks you’re a couple that you’re actually not.”_ Donghyuck had jumped to his feet with an exaggerated sigh. _“Thank you for making my life easier.”_

Jaehyun nudges Johnny from where they are sitting on the foot of the couch. Their eyes travel to Taeyong, sitting on the love couch, a packet of sweetened potatoes on his lap. “Please tell me we don’t have to spell it out for him,” Jaehyun whispers. 

“Doyoung will kill him. Doyoung loves him but he _will_ kill him. He screamed at Canva for days,” Johnny answers. 

It was just the introductory slide but everyone’s in the living room is thrumming with different kinds of energy on their skin; excitement, anticipation and, edgy for Doyoung whose eyes are trained on Taeyong. He grips the small remote control in his hands, the cool air from the AC blowing on his nape as cold as the nights in winter. For some reason, he knows in his bones that the chances of Taeyong saying _yes_ is high. However, he can’t say the same to how much of a chance he’s got when it comes to the other man clearly deciphering the purpose of the presentation in front of him. 

Taeyong’s eyes are unreadable. There is no hint of deprecation, incitement or even confusion, in his eyes. He simply sits and pops a piece of his snack into his mouth. Doyoung doesn’t know whether it’s for the better or worse; yet, he surges on and hovers his thumb on the button for the next slide. 

Doyoung breathes a fair amount of air to clear the fog in his head. He scans the room once more and watches as everyone gives him a show of encouragement. He gives himself a mental shove on the back. He had done this so many times during his years in college, always one of the students who gives the best presentations and comes down from the podium with flying colors. He studies all his presentations and knows the points that he should be engraving in the minds of his audience. 

And yet, the unreadable expression in Taeyong’s eyes and face unnerves him down to his core. 

“As you all know, me and Taeyong have been attached to the hip since we were in high school.” Doyoung starts. Everyone nods in participation except Taeyong who cracks a smile at the excessive applause coming from Jungwoo. “We know most things about each other. We are from the same street, same school, our lockers were next to each other and because I studied a year earlier than him, we sat next to each other in the same classroom.” Doyoung shifts his eyes to Taeyong for a quick second but the sound of Mark coughing makes Doyoung snap his eyes to him. Donghyuck was quick to slap his hand back against his friend’s mouth and flashing Doyoung an assuring look. 

The images on the screen are of Doyoung and Taeyong when they were still in their teenage years, grungy and almost dull because of the old technology; but the bright smiles on their faces makes up for the lack of it. They were thin and lanky, hairs reaching below their ears and disheveled from all their little adventures that mostly involved Doyoung accompanying Taeyong to look for snails and other insects that interested him along the way. There are some that show their ice cream smudged faces, reminding Taeyong of their ice cream runs after every exam with Doyoung’s initiative, to ease the heaviness on Taeyong’s shoulder, saying that he didn’t do well. 

_“I told you to study with me. That’s what you get for sleeping on me when I was trying to teach you algebra.’_ Doyoung had scolded him when they arrived at the ice cream parlour and immediately occupied their usual booth at the end of the shop. 

_“But, Doie! Algebra is boring! And difficult.”_

_“Then don’t expect me to wait for you when I graduate and you don’t.”_

Ultimately after that, Taeyong surged up through the school ranking; from being on the 56th place among 90 students in their level, he shoots up to the 12th place while Doyoung reigns as the 1st for the whole duration of their highschool years. 

Taeyong’s heart constricts inside his chest but he wills himself to not give way to his emotions (yet) and remains unmoving on his seat. The next slide comes and Doyoung speaks up once again. 

“Even until college, we went to the same university. It was in our list of plans after all. Right?” Doyoung spares Taeyong a look. They catch each other and for a quick moment Doyong thought he sees a shimmer of tears in Taeyong’s eyes but in a blink, it is submerged by nothingness but a small nod from him. Doyoung smiles. He turns back to the screen and summons the next set of photos, a mixture of their own and ones with their friends in it. 

“Yo, that’s us,” Mark whispers. 

“Yes, Markie.” Yuta wraps an arm around Mark’s shoulders and hugs him to his side. “Now both of you hurry and graduate so you can stress about their wedding with us without thinking about finals.” 

Doyoung continues, his eyes intending not to leave Taeyong’s seated figure until he is finished with his mission. “We were roommates. I watched Taeyong bloom from his cocoon. Watch him become confident in himself, supporting him when he becomes a doubting mess. Just as how he was there for me when certain issues arise. We had different dreams but we shared one in particular.” The next slide rolls and fills the dimly lit room with brightness as it shows a fullscreen photo of Doyoung and Taeyong in front of their bakeshop. Doyoung’s arms are hooked around Taeyong’s neck in a hug and Taeyong has one of his arms wrapped around Doyoung’s torso and the other raised for a ‘v’ sign. 

In between Donghyuck and Yuta, Mark unmistakably releases a sound of a strangled sob. 

“You can’t be serious,” Donghyuck grumbled. But snuggles close to him anyways as he feels his throat begin to clog with a tension he doesn’t want to let out anytime soon. 

Below the couch, Johnny holds Jaehyun’s hand in his, squeezing gently for comfort. “Are you going to cry too?” Jaehyun murmurs. 

“I’m ready to bet my Rolex that everyone around us is holding their tears.” 

_The Lightbulb_ , the bakery that they built together. For a year after they graduated, they both strived in their own fields while saving up to make their dream come true. It was a year of almost freezing to death because their heater had stopped working and they couldn’t afford to have it fixed just yet. They lived off of convenience store food. And making a bottle of shampoo last for a month so they could save faster. 

Their friend group have seen the two struggle just to achieve their goal. Especially since no matter how they offered to help, Taeyong and Doyoung were stern about wanting to work on it themselves. However, it did not stop them from sneaking into their cramped apartment at that time to cook them a small meal or lure the two into group outings. 

“We had our fair share of arguments.” Taeyong’s eyes crinkle into a smile at it. Doyoung feels himself shake just by the simplicity of it. Just by the mere mention of their little quarrels, memories consume them and almost divide them from the rest of the world as they only gaze into each other’s eyes. 

“What arguments?” Taeyong speaks for the first time that night, stirring everyone’s attention to him. But his eyes remain only on one; at Doyoung’s eyes furrowing at his words. “I only remember when you chased me out of our old apartment complex when I said Digimon is not the Naruto you think it is.” 

Everyone bursted into laughter. But Donghyuck persists amongst all. “True, I can still vividly remember the scandalized look in Doyoung’s eyes when he grabbed Taeyong’s fish bowl up in the air.” 

“He almost killed my two-week old goldfish! I would’ve been ready to divorce him.” Taeyong says, a gauging grin on his face that he knows always gets up on Doyoung’s skin. 

Doyoung huffs. Everyone’s eyes shift back to him, like they’re watching a comical exchange happening a few feet away. Jungwoo sneaks popcorn from Mark’s lap. 

“Technically, you can’t do that,” Yuta chides in, “yet.”

Doyoung gives him an uncensored glare. 

"Come on, come on, please carry on so that I can finally answer Taeil’s messages on whether or not he’s flying back to attend a wedding.” Donghyuck ushers them to continue. 

Doyoung subdues the sudden change in the atmosphere and focuses back to the next slide which needs him to be more grounded and away from the ball of feelings inside him. 

"Moving on," Doyoung starts off. "As I was saying, _arguments._ Which brings us to my next point; the Pros and Cons of marrying me." Doyoung says it with great conviction, lips thinning into a line; the way he always does whenever he's about to drill some hard facts in everyone's brain. 

Taeyong has witnessed it numerous times. In lecture halls, in small forums and in his thesis proposal and he always succeeds everytime. Taeyong takes pride in Doyoung's success like it his own and the same goes to Doyoung who never fails to remind Taeyong of his capabilities. They click that well, they always will and Taeyong had known that from the start. 

"We all know how our friend can be very—impulsive." A series of agreements echo around the room. "Like on how he stocks up a bunch of items in his cart and ends up checking them out collectively. And I end up welcoming a bunch of packages on our doorstep the next day." 

"That's a reach and you know it," Taeyong interjects. 

"He always buys an excessive amount of chocolate chips saying that it's for the cookies. But it ends up in his personal chocolate jar anyways."

"It's called investment." 

Everyone gawks at Taeyong for it. Doyoung waves him away. 

"The point is, I'm more economical than you. And I make a good partner in life with that on the table."

"Nonsense," Taeyong scrunches his nose. "That's in the _Cons_ category."

"You dare say that when I do the auditing?" Doyoung hands are on his waist, his whole body and attention facing Taeyong on what seems to be the usual image of them when they're bickering while the rest of the group sits out and let's them be. 

Taeyong seems to think about it but only for a short moment. "Okay, I concede." 

"As you should." Doyoung turns back to the audience. "Now let's proceed." 

In the few seconds that Doyoung collects himself, Taeyong is curled in the small space on his seat, hugging his knees and his shoulder shaking with laughter. Everyone's attention turns back to him as his laughter vibrates throughout his entire body. 

"What now?" Doyoung says. 

"Nothing—" Taeyong hiccups "—this is all just so funny. I can't decide if I should cry or laugh but I guess I laughed and I can feel myself on the verge of crying." He says it while still hunched on the loveseat, his face buried against his thighs, his body curled into a ball. 

"Lee Taeyong…" 

On the couch, Mark casts a worried glance at Taeyong and then at Yuta who's sporting a wide grin. Johnny and Jaehyun on the other hand are sitting on their heels, ready to restrain the two if it all goes south than how they expected it to turn out. 

For years, they have learned that there is not in-between the two. 

Slowly, Taeyong uncurls himself, his laughter subsiding as he brings his legs down. His head is still hanging on his shoulders—refusing to look anywhere other than his feet knowing that Doyoung would catch his eyes one way or another. So he speaks with a smile hidden from the rest. 

"I could have already given you an answer the moment you opened the presentation." Taeyong clasps his hands together. "I can't believe you prepared a whole powerpoint for it."

The air seemed to have stopped flowing around them. Everything is still; as if the world has been set on silent to make way for the words that are about to be spilled for the first time. Taeyong's feelings, unfolding into a wave of emotions that he has been harboring and keeping at a distance with the fear of him being wrong. That all of Doyoung's comforting touches has all just been a figment of his imagination as he longs for something more than just a friendship between them. 

Much to Doyoung's belief that Taeyong is being very oblivious all along, Taeyong would like to contend. And Johnny was the first to realize it when he sees the tension from Taeyong's shoulder dissipate, along with the flood of confession that spills from his mouth. 

"Pros or Cons, did you really think that I'd care?" Taeyong then lifts his head and as expected, Doyoung catches his boba eyes that are glimmering with unshed tears, pooling at the edges. 

Doyoung wants to rush forward and hold him in his hands, longs to cradle his face and show him exactly how it is to be loved like they are one entity. But the next words that came out of Taeyong were words that punched him and Doyoung doesn't think he can take a step forward without crumbling on the floor. 

"I have wanted to marry you since you climbed the tree for me because I wanted to rescue a cat but I'm scared of heights." Taeyong looks at Doyoung straight in the eyes. "Dating had always been out of the question for us, don't you think? Sounds too fleeting for us."

Doyoung can't help the chuckle that rumbles out of him. His own tears ready to emerge; he can feel it in the way his throat constricts. 

"We're in for the long-term anyways. We still have an unpaid joint loan from the bank, so marriage does sound sensible," Taeyong adds. The glimmer in Taeyong eyes becomes a gleam of happiness rather than tears. 

In the moment where both of their heads are just a blur of colors and a muddle of thoughts, Doyoung can only grasp what is unfolding in his line of sight.

Taeyong and the smile on his face. Taeyong and the way his eyes brightens. The Taeyong that Doyoung would seek out first in the mornings because he couldn't wake up to the sound of his alarm. The Taeyong that taught him how to let loose when he gets cooped up with the reality of life. 

Taeyong who is part of every decision that Doyoung makes. From the kind of bread he would buy when they were in college, to the scent of fabric softener that wouldn't be too strong for Taeyong's senses until to how Doyoung would throw a packet of jellies into the cart when he would be in his weekly grocery shopping.

Doyoung doesn't mind to do all of it again and again. He wishes to do it all, year after year, going along with the changes of time. 

"Then why didn't you say _yes_ from the start, you idiot." Doyoung struggles to keep his voice in stability but by the end it sounded croaked anyways. He grips the control in his hands tighter; his knees begins to feel weak, his shoulders numb and he just wishes to be carried away by how Taeyong goes up to him and takes Doyoung's hands into his. 

Taeyong hums. "Because you would've killed me for disrupting a plan that I'm sure you planned for ages and you wouldn't let me live it down until our wedding night."

"Told you." Johnny elbows Jaehyun. Everyone had taken grown an interest on the popcorn that Mark brought with him, munching without making as much sound as possible. 

"I feel like we're watching a live drama," Yuta murmurs under his breath. Everyone else nods in agreement. 

Doyoung looks down at their linked hands between him and Taeyong and is relatively reminded of how he should be leading this conversation instead of being swept by Taeyong. 

"I'm not getting down on my knees by the way," Doyoung says as a way to uplift the curtains of overwhelming emotions, gushing under his skin. "If it isn't obvious already, I'm aiming for an uncanny kind of proposal." 

"I wouldn't have expected less from you," Taeyong replies. He cups Doyoung's jaw, brushing a thumb over his cheek, a touch that Doyoung easily leans on. "So, where's the ring?" 

"What ring?" 

" _The ring_ , Doie. Please don't tell me that not having a ring is part of your 'uncanny proposal'. That's such a turn off." 

Doyoung's eyes flutters back to their audience only for them actively avoid his gaze. Hopelessly, Doyoung meets Taeyong's expectant eyes and flashes him his gummy smile, that he hopes would work like how it always does before.

"Yong, like you said, we still have a loan to pay off—"

"Then just give me your ring size and I'll forget about this."

"Uh-uh. Knowing you, you'd splurge on a 2000 dollar ring and with the two of us that'd be 4000." Doyoung shakes his head. "Nope, I'm not giving you my ring size." 

Before another argument could even arise, Donghyuck's voice cuts them off. "So will there be a wedding because Taeil is _very_ adamant. He's trying to score a ticket sale that would end in a few minutes." 

"Yes," Doyoung and Taeyong answers in unison. 

"October 2nd, to be exact," Taeyong adds, earning him a slap on the arm from Doyoung. 

"Are you crazy?" Doyoung exclaims. "That's 8 months from now!" 

Taeyong only holds Doyoung's face in his hands, squishing his cheeks between his palms that gives him all the freedom to gaze lovingly at the pout on Doyoung's lips. "I thought we agreed on not waiting any longer." 

  
  


❦

  
  


By the end of the week when they no longer have to deal with Mark crying on their shoulders, telling them how happy he is for them, Doyoung and Taeyong enjoys their dinner in their bakery after they closed down for the day. At the corner of their shop where they are hidden from the view of the passersby while giving them a good sight of the streets, Doyoung slides a maroon velvet box on the table. 

Doyoung have debated on whether he should take Taeyong to a fancy restaurant or maybe somewhere romantic. But he concluded that being in a place that is _them,_ that belongs to them would better suit occassion. 

"You're kidding me," Taeyong mutters in awe when he takes the box in his hand. Running a finger on the soft edges and surface before opening it with a soft thump. "You're kidding me."

"What? You said you wanted a ring."

"Yes but—" Taeyong quickly pulls out his phone and snaps a photo of the ring in the box. He stares at his phone screen for a moment until the information he's looking for flashes in his eyes. "—you chastised me for possibly buying us a ring that would cost me 4000 and yet you're here buying rings that totals to 6000?" Taeyong exclaims. A scoff leaves his mouth, half-amused and half in disbelief over his best friend's— _no, fiancé's_ —unusual spending attitude. 

Doyoung tries to hide a sheepish expression. "Shut up and just wear it." 

"Okay, Mr. Economical," Taeyong teases but wears it anyways. Turning the ring on his finger a few times before laying it on top of the table. He nods to Doyoung's hand hiding under the table. "Let me see."

Doyoung doesn't waste any second and lays his hand on top of Taeyong's open palm. Their rings softly clinks together, glistening under the low lights above them. They've been dancing around each other for too long, holding their breaths for something that has already happened even before they paid mind to it. Relationships can be tricky but it pays well if you've been with the right person all along.

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/louvdear) / [cc](curiouscat.qa/dotaebfs) @.@


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